Shame
by Antonia-x
Summary: Sequel to Butterfly. It's September 2010, and there is about to be a violent man on the loose in Sunhill - When 3 officers become targets just what are they hiding? Sees Rachel's return, with a surprise. Summary inside.
1. Prologue

**Sequel to Butterfly, that I never planned on writing but, yeah.. I wrote one. **

**It follows on to what would've been the episodes into September, on ITV… **

**So**

**Callum's dad has died, he and Smithy had their little fight/shoving each other about moment, and that for the moment seems to be resolved, but I am a twisted person, so therefore I could change my mind about that in the next twenty minutes. **

**Grace and Neil are together, Jake's illness happened.**

**Callum and Kirsty .. I figure they'll still be having some fights, because I think they'd be fun. **

**P.S.**

**Rachel's back. **

**Oh, and Nate never **_**really**_** left, so yeah, he's still about. *wonders if she could use the same tactic for Millie* - will get back to you on the latter. **

**And, I can't work out what will become of Smithy and Stevie.**

**I told Meg that I couldn't find the will to write, letting me do what I want and bring Rachel back seems to be helping. **

**Also, I probably won't be updating very frequently..**

**Enjoy, **

***bribing* Some lovely fresh virtual cookies for reviewers, even if it is bad - just tell me what I can do. *bribing ends.* **

**Anny. X. **

Prologue.

Smithy's P.O.V

She was always going to come back, she made that clear. But a year passed, and I didn't believe she'd kept her promise, in fact I was pretty sure that I was never going to see her again. Since she left I'd never grown close to anyone - like I had with her, not even Stevie. Our friendship grew, yes. But I was not, as the whole station seems to think, in a relationship with the little blonde. She knew everything there was to know where Rachel and I were concerned, but she never mentioned it, she knew how much it hurt.

She was always going to come back, she made that clear. But a year passed, and I didn't believe she'd kept her promise, in fact I was pretty sure that I was never going to see her again. What I never expected was for her to return the way she did. I thought she'd have told me and then walked through the doors of the station, like she'd planned.

I haven't spoken to Rachel for over a year, I have, had too much to deal with, at least that is what I tell myself. Really, I think the truth is: she's moved on. For the first month everything was fine, texts and phone calls, not daily but not far off it either.

I walked her home the day she left, and kissed her on her doorstep. But, she let us in. I wasn't expecting to wake up next to her the following morning, then leave her and head to Sunhill without her. I knew then that was the last time I'd see her in person, for a very long time.

Jack's P.O.V

What with little Jake being so poorly, I wasn't surprised when Neil came into my office this morning, and said he had to take time off or work part-time, he had to spend for time with his son. I quickly agreed because I knew I could. He looked at me, as if I was mad, so I had to explain.

I told him Rachel wanted to come back, but she'd had a baby, a few months ago. So, she too, would be only too willing to take advantage of the lesser hours. I'd never replaced Sam, purely because I didn't want to break the, sort of, well established department by bringing in someone new. So this way suited everyone.

I never pried into Rachel's personal life, asked her about a relationship, asked her about her baby's father. She seemed grateful for that, and told me that she'd be moving back to Sunhill within the week and told me about her baby, a boy, a son Sam. Although she never volunteered any information on her son's father.

She was starting back, in just over a week, she'd asked me to keep it under wraps until I couldn't any longer. I wasn't sure and I never asked. I never thought we'd be seeing her sooner than expected.

Rachel's P.O.V 

So I walked out of Sunhill, walked out of Dale Smith's life, that was the easy part. To be honest, keeping in touch wasn't difficult. A little bit of me was relieved when we couldn't catch up quite so often, well that was after I learned I was pregnant.

My baby, my son, Samuel. When I left Sunhill I never expected that I'd become a single mother. In fact, I never had planned to become a single mother - and sometimes, I did wonder if I was doing the right thing by keeping my baby. I wondered that right up until the moment I held Sam in my arms for the first time - the image of his father, like I knew he would be.

I promised Smithy I'd come back, but my maternity leave clashed with my 'in a year' plan. I left Sunhill - one year, one month, two weeks and 3 days ago, and next week I would return. Not that anyone knew.


	2. Chapter 1

**Summary.**

**Rachel Weston returned to Sunhill with her little son, Sam. The baby boy brings a huge secret and heartache, before anything gets better. **

**But can Rachel do her job and cope with being Sam's mother at the same time?**

**An investigation into a series of crimes - one of which she was a victim herself- seem unlinked. Until she, along with a colleague or two, surrender their personal secrets of trials and traumas to catch a violent man. **

**I own nothing. That all belongs to Talkback Thames/ItV or whoever. No copyright infringement intended. **

Chapter One.

Kirsty nodded at Leon, who pulled his radio to his mouth: "All received, show us dealing, Over." He glanced back over at the blonde in the driver's seat, as she switched on the blue and twos with a face of total delight, as she drove at a steady speed towards the call - reported by a passer-by: a struggle between a man and a woman, although the woman seemed to be taking a beating.

She turned the area car carefully round the corner, there was no sign of a struggle, or a victim, what there was though, was an abandoned pram - which the caller who had been so kind as to not leave a name, had not mentioned. Leon jumped out the car first, heading straight to the pram, inside was a baby boy sleeping soundly through the noise that the apparent struggle must have caused.

"LEON!" Kirsty's scream was enough to stop Leon in his tracks of staring that the baby boy - wondering how some one could just leave him. Following her voice he pushed the pram with him, and stopped in his tracks as he came face-to-face with her and her discovery. The victim.

His gaze was averted from the sight and focused on Kirsty, who was rummaging through the victim's handbag. "Aha!" Kirsty stood up, hand reaching to her radio the other had a hold of a driver's licence baring the name of the victim. He raised a hand to stop her, and she looked up, letting go of her radio, shooting him a quizzical look.

"Rachel Weston?" He offered as way of explanation and Kirsty nodded wordlessly.

"How do you know?" She looked at the body of the woman, probably not any older than her, her blonde hair was matted with blood, red marks and cuts across her face and neck showed how hurt she was.

"Phone an ambulance Kirsty, you can't give her name, I'll explain when you've done that." Kirsty nodded, still somewhat confused.

"Sierra Oscar from 363, we're going to need an ambulance for the alleyway just off Larkin Road, female, early to mid thirties, serious assault, unconscious, identity unknown as of yet. Over?" Kirsty dropped her hand from her radio, as she watched Leon take out his phone.

"363 from Sierra Oscar, all received. Ambulance on way, ETA three minutes." Kirsty's radio cut through the silence between her and Leon.

"Need to phone Stone." Kirsty merely nodded at his explanation - she was still none the wiser to what was going on. She watched him dial Stone's number and wait for an answer.

"Leon, who is she?"

"She was our Inspector, before Smithy, don't want to go broadcasting it all over the radio - we'd have the whole nick down here. It'll be bad enough when she's at hospital…" He stopped talking to Kirsty, when he heard Stone's answer.

"Sarge, we've got a problem. That ambulance Kirsty just called in - yeah, the victim, it's Inspector Weston. Okay, and we've got a baby at the scene? Err- a boy, a few months or so? Is he hers? Okay, right thanks. We'll work on the assumption he is then. See you at the hospital, bye." Leon clicked the end call button on his phone, and shoved it back in his pocket, looking up at Kirsty - who during the phone call, had carefully lifted the now wakened child into her arms.

"Stone's meeting us at the hospital, in about fifteen, twenty minutes. Said we've to keep it to ourselves for now." Kirsty nodded, before looking back towards the baby, who was smiling contently. "How old do you reckon he is then?"

"I dunno, six months?" Leon nodded and Kirsty continued. "She left Sunhill, when?"

"Over a year ago, just though…" He trailed off realising what Kirsty was getting at. But the sound of the sirens of the approaching ambulance prevented him from having to answer.

"Hello, what've we got?" The first of the paramedics, Lisa, made her arrival known, her long dark hair whipping around behind her in the ponytail it was tied up in. She settled down at Rachel's side, and began checking for a pulse. "Her name?" She looked up at the two police officers who still looked like they were trying to take in the sight. She shook her head, confused as to why - in their line of work - they be so stunned to see a victim like this one, surely they'd seen much worse.

"Rachel." She noted that the female office, although reluctant to tear her eyes away from the child in her arms, seemed the less shaken up of the two. When her partner, Craig, joined her they were ready to move her and take her to hospital.

"Are one of you coming with her?" She turned to the two officers, the man carefully folding up the pram of the baby in the other's arms.

"Do you want to?" Kirsty offered Leon, nodding towards Rachel.

"No, you go he seems content with you… I'll meet you down there." Kirsty nodded and reluctantly handed over the keys to the car, pausing once as though tempted to swap him the child for the car, and eventually the ambulance pulled away - heading towards St. Hugh's.

* * *

"Stevie?" Callum almost whispered to the little blonde Detective Sergeant when he found her, in the incident room. She hadn't heard anyone come in - well he was trying to discreet, she turned quickly almost screaming in fright.

"Callum…" She trailed off waiting for an explanation.

"We've got a problem. You need to keep Smithy distracted for a bit?" He glanced, pleadingly at the blonde who stood at over a foot smaller than him.

Stevie nodded quickly, before her talkative nature surfaced, once more: "What's going on then?"

Callum, sighed and carefully sat down on the desk in front her: "Rachel's been assaulted, Kirsty and Leon found her, and a baby - did Smithy ever mention her having a son?"

Stevie's lips formed an O shape, before she hurried on, "No. A son? How old is he? Is she okay?"

Callum raised a hand to stop Stevie's constant questions: "A few months from what I can gather. I've still to get down there. Stevie can you just keep an eye on him?"

The blonde nodded and hurried towards the door leaving before Callum. She rushed down the stairs taking two at a time, and jumped the last two, in her hurry to reach Smithy before Sunhill Police Station's infamous rumour mill did. She knocked the door of the Inspector's office, sharply, twice and opened the door cautiously - hoping Smithy was inside.

"Stevie." Dale Smith welcomed the distraction that the little blonde's arrival had brought, and never noticed the grim fearful look on her normally cheerful features.

* * *

"How is she?" Kirsty was standing with the baby boy, Leon spoke of in her arms, when Callum reached the hospital. The P.C. turned quickly to her sergeant, she was feeling extremely out of place - it seemed to be, she was the only one who had not meet this woman before.

"She's just woken up. Leon's talking to her, they've given her painkillers that make her drowsy, so he's trying to get a bit of a description before she's asleep." She bounced the baby onto her other hip, as she seen Leon enter the room where Rachel was. She along with Stone turned to look at him expectantly.

"She's a bit shaken up still, everything is a bit hazy, she's pretty drowsy too." Leon's word received understanding nods from both Kirsty and Stone. "She was asking about him…" Leon paused to point at the boy in Kirsty's arms, before quickly continuing: "… and Smithy?" He cast Stone a look, which gave Kirsty a funny feeling she was missing out on some major information.

* * *

"Really, no easy way to tell you this Smithy." Stevie started off so well, then her curiosity got the better of her. "Did you know Rachel was back in Sunhill?" Smithy looked at her, and dropped his pen to the desk.

"No, listen Stevie, what's going here?"

"She was assaulted this morning, she's in St Hugh's…" Stevie flinched as Smithy jumped from his seat, grabbing his stab vest and rushing out the door as he attempted to put it on. "… if you'd just let me finish, then I could've explained!" Stevie sighed in frustration as she muttered the rest of her sentence out before fleeing from the office and after him. Catching up with him in the yard - and managing to jump into the passenger side of the car he was in.

* * *

"Stevie's telling him, bringing him down. Anyway, that nurse I was talking to said, the little lad is fine, and they can just put him in a cot next to Rachel, until we get in touch with family." Leon nodded as he processed the information Stone was relaying to him.

"He's called Sam, she said."

Kirsty nodded, smiling slightly that after over half an hour with the child, she was finally able to call him by his name. "Hiya, Sam. Will we go and see mummy, yes. Good boy."

Callum and Leon watched as she wondered off, towards where Rachel was, just as Smithy - closely followed by Stevie, came to skidding halt in front of them.

"Where is she?"

"Just follow Kirsty…" Stone waved in her general direction as Smithy rushed off, before turn his attention back to Stevie. "Did you have time to tell him about the baby? He's called Sam, by the way."

"Tell him about the baby, Callum - I didn't even have enough bloody time to tell him about Rachel, before he was driving like a bloody maniac down here and nearly killing us both."

* * *

**So, that is it for now. **

**Reviews are love. **

**Until next time - which hopefully won't be too long. **

**Anny. X. **


	3. Chapter 2

**After much planning - so I can write this somewhat frequently, and bouncing ideas off of Meg. I have chapter 2.**

**Set directly after chapter one. I'm going to split the chapters up so it's easier to see the change in place/people. **

**Anyway. I still don't own The Bill, anymore than I did - a few hours ago. So no copyright infringement intended. **

**Also, this chapter gets a bit more character -full and Sunhill based, than the previous. **

Chapter Two.

Smithy watched as Kirsty placed the baby boy in the plastic cot by Rachel bedside, with such a look of love and care, that had he not been feeling the way he was - he'd have picked up on it and thought to mention it to her. Rachel's eyes were closed, and he couldn't be sure if she was asleep or not, he knew Stevie was saying in the car that they would have given her painkillers that would make her drowsy and she probably wouldn't be much use for a statement for a few hours yet.

Kirsty took a final look at the baby, before stepping backwards ready to leave the room when Rachel's eyes flickered open - at the sound of her tiny son's contented gurgling. She scanned the room quickly, and her eyes came to rest on a tall blonde police woman she didn't recognise her, noting she was about to leave - Rachel plucked up the courage to speak up.

"Hi." She didn't even recognise her own voice, it was quiet hoarse and still had hints of fear. Kirsty turned to face the woman she believe to be sleeping. When she had looked at her just moments ago - she looked like such a victim, not the strong Inspector, Leon had told her she was.

"Hi." Her response was simple, she could not work out what to say to someone in Rachel's position.

"Thank you, for Sam I mean." Kirsty smiled at her, unsure of what to say, as she noticed that Smithy was standing by the door just watching.

"He's lovely. Wasn't a problem." She smiled broadly, hoping to escape soon fully aware that Smithy wanted to talk to her.

"Err, is Smithy about?" Kirsty was relieved by the turn in conversation, not that she couldn't spend all day talking about little Sam, she just felt there was more to this Rachel and her son than met the eye.

"Yeah, I'll get him for you. Get better soon Rachel." With a quick smile Kirsty was gone.

"Sir?" Kirsty questioned almost immediately after emerging from Rachel's room, she was waiting to be taken up to a ward, they were going to keep her in over night, because it was a head injury and she had lost consciousness. Kirsty only continued when Smithy trailed his gaze away from Rachel, who was smiling contently at her baby to her: "She's been asking for you?" Smithy only nodded to her comment, so she kept on walking.

Smithy pushed open the door of the room Rachel had been kept in since she was brought in, looking between Rachel and her son, cautiously. "Hi. Kirsty said you were looking for me?" Rachel's quickly whipped her head round - turning her attention from Sam to Smithy.

"Yeah, I felt like a friendly face." She trailed off nervously, sitting herself in bed and stretching over to lift Sam from the plastic cot and taking him gently in her arms, as his eyes closed. "I never lied you know. I was coming back, just there were some unplanned circumstances that got in the way."

"Him?" Smithy gestured towards the baby in Rachel's arms, in a response she simply nodded - trying to hide the look in her eyes that gave away the fact that she was struggling to bring Sam up on her own.

* * *

"So, she was coming back to Sunhill then?" Callum questioned Stevie, now he had the opportunity to, the little blonde was always first on the list of Station gossip - wanting to know about Rachel, he figured she'd be a good place to start.

"So Manson said, working alongside him, it'd help them both - I suppose."

"Does that mean, she's on her own with Sam then?"

"Well, the time just doesn't fit to have found someone else, settled down and started a family does it?" Stevie felt her voice raise and she wasn't sure why, but she felt some anger towards Rachel - she thought it might've been because she was pretty sure that Sam was Smithy's son and Rachel had not once thought to tell him about Sam; but then, that thought was fighting the other thought: that maybe little Sam wasn't Smithy's and someone Rachel had meet someone else so soon after leaving Sunhill and Smithy. She wasn't sure which was worse but she knew that either way, it would devastate Smithy - for either being kept in the dark about his child for over a year or that she had meet someone else - while he sat around missing her.

"I suppose not, no. How old is he again?" Callum looked away from Stevie as he asked the question, hoping she wouldn't find it weird him wanting to know.

"Five months. Makes you wonder why she never told anyone about him?" She'd done it now, and she knew. She, Stevie Sofia Moss, had probably very successfully hinted at how angry she was at Rachel for keeping her child a secret.

"Maybe, she didn't want a fuss? Didn't want the father to know? There are probably hundreds of reasons why she never told anyone. Five months though, she'd still be at Sunhill then?" He had breathed the last part out - not really meaning to say it out loud, he was still mentally counting trying to work it out.

"Yeah. She would've been, assuming he wasn't born early or anything - it would've been last June/July wouldn't it, fourteen months ago?" Callum nodded slowly, and realisation, of a different kind, hit both him and Stevie.

* * *

Jo Masters was in the incident room, pacing, when Grace joined her. As the door swung closed behind Grace; Jo was pretty sure that the intuitive Detective was on to something, either that or the intuitive Detective was getting no where - and she prayed it was the former, because Grace Dasari does not like getting no where, it annoys her. Even if that was the case, Jo had a new trick: anytime Grace was about to go off in a rant about how nothing was adding up - all you had to do was mention Neil Manson's name and she shut up and sometimes even left the room.

"Nothing, Jo, absolutely nothing. I know it was just a mugging - but it was more than that, I have a hunch - they never took anything, well they did, but her handbag was recovered about five minutes away and she was seven months pregnant." Grace finished and looked up at the sergeant who was currently, staring at the whiteboard.

"So, wait, lets start from the beginning Grace what have we got?" Jo watched the smile spread gleefully across Grace's face as she began to rhyme off the facts.

"Okay, Mary Wilson, forty three, housewife, a two year affair with her husbands boss resulted in the current pregnancy, she's seven months…" Grace trailed off, the evidence they had nothing. They could not find a motive and a breakable alibi. But Grace had a hunch, and she wasn't about to back down, she knew there was more to this case. She wasn't about to accept that she was a victim of a random attack.

"Anyway, leaving the case aside, did you know Rachel was coming back?" Jo had soon learned that Grace and Neil together brought with it so much useful information - she could, more often than not, coax out of Grace.

"I did, yes, and I was told not to tell anyone, that Rachel didn't want a fuss." Jo shrugged and nodded but accepted Grace's reason, just this once - but from now on, she would be forcing information from Grace, and would just have to hope that Stevie didn't get there first.

* * *

**This is going a lot better than expected *pleased with self :P***

**Until next time, Anny. X. **


	4. Chapter 3

**I own nothing. No copyright intended. Everything belongs to Talkback Thames/ITV. **

**Italics are flashbacks.**

**There are two chapter's with flashbacks this one, and roughly about chapter 8 - the flashbacks link together. **

Chapter Three.

"Jo!" Mickey came flying through the doors of the incident room, interrupting her conversation with Grace.

"What?" She turned away from Grace and her attempts to gain information, and focused her attention on Mickey.

"They've found a rape victim Jo, Terry's on his way to the hospital just now." Mickey looked at the whiteboard where Jo and Grace had been battling out the mugging case which Grace had a hunch about - what her hunch actually was, was neither here nor there - apparently.

"Right, thanks Mickey, let Terry know that I'll speak to him when I get down there. Who's in charge?"

"Stevie. She was at the hospital anyway."

* * *

"Rachel…" Smithy looked between Rachel and the sleeping baby boy she was cradling, naturally, in her arms.

"I never meant to hide him from you, Smithy, I'd have loved for you to meet him - I just didn't know how to explain it to you." Smithy stared at Rachel, trying to read behind the lines and understand what she was actually telling him here - that Sam was in fact his son.

"I'd have listened, I'd have been there for you, you know that, Rach." Rachel, never looked at him once, through his declaration of such commitment to her, her eyes remained on Sam, her right hand twisting nervously around the blanket which Sam was wrapped in.

"It wouldn't have been fair of me to do though, I don't think you understand…"

He never gave her a moment to finish what she was going to say, before he had explained what he meant: "Of course it would've been fair, how could you have been expected to do what you did and go through this alone."

"I had to." Rachel, shifted awkwardly, moving Sam with her, wakening him.

"Five months old, well what's that fourteen months ago, you were still in Sunhill when you got pregnant. Is that why you stopped answering my phone calls, you were scared of telling me you were pregnant?" At Smithy's words, Rachel placed a small kiss to Sam head, and a lone tear made it's way slowly down her cheek.

"You don't understand…" Smithy tried to speak, but she put her hand across his and stopped him, before she resumed her explanation - explaining something she wished she'd never have to explain: "Listen, Dale, I am in no way proud of what I'm going to say, but I think I need to make you understand, why I never told you about Sam and I am so sorry." Rachel paused as her nerves got the better of her, and she blinked back a few stray tears furiously. "Remember the night, we had that argument?…"

"_Just go, Smithy!" Rachel stood at one end her office glaring at Smithy, she knew she was overreacting but he started it, it wasn't a real fight just a disagreement really. But she was upset, she'd had a rubbish day - and she wanted to spend the night in with him. But he was going out with Stevie, apparently she needed cheering up - she knew nothing was going on between Stevie and Smithy, in fact there was hardly anything going on between her and Smithy - a few kisses for comfort, and a few nights together when they were lonely. They were pretty much using each other, but the problem for Rachel was she was falling for him and she was terrified to admit it - so then suddenly Stevie became a threat. _

"… Yeah." Smithy nodded sadly, obviously remembering the incident.

Rachel, turned away from him, as she placed Sam back in his cot: "I'm not proud of this - but I need to tell you…"

"_Ma'am?" Callum stuck his head in the door of the Inspector's office, he'd seen Smithy storm off in a mood and a bit of wanted to know what Smithy could've done to cause an argument between him and Rachel - they got on well, their relationship didn't last, but it seemed their friendship did. So this argument was very much out of character, for both of them. He watched Rachel stare intently at the back wall of her office, before turning round, the tears she'd cried remain obvious. So he closed the door of the office, as the inspector fell into her chair closing her eyes. Callum crossed the room towards her, closing the blinds on his way there - trying to give her some privacy, afraid that she would eventually succumb to the tears she was fighting back but remained threatening to overspill down her pale cheeks. _

"_Sorry, sorry, Callum. It's been a long day." The sergeant nodded and murmured words of agreement. _

"Y_ou and Smithy going to the pub?" He wasn't looking at her now, he was simply facing the closed blinds - wanting to find out what was going on between his fellow sergeant and the young Inspector. "No.." Rachel trailed off, choking back a sob, before she could explain, "…he's, Smithy's going out with Stevie somewhere - trying to cheer her up. I don't really fancy the pub Callum, I think I just want an early night." Callum nodded quickly, before turning to face her: "Let me drop you off, it's on my way and you look exhausted, saves you waiting on the bus." Rachel mulled his offer over - and struggled to find anything wrong with it, before agreeing. _

"Are you telling me what I think you are?" Smithy looked from Rachel, who could not face him, to Sam - the innocent party in all of this, sensing how much Rachel was struggling alone and understanding that she'd probably never tell Sam about his dad.

"Just listen to me please, I'm trying to be honest with you - and you keep butting in, it'll be so much easier if you just let me speak. Please?" Rachel's eyes pleaded with Smithy's, as she turned to face him, and he let her continue.

_They were in his car, Rachel's head fell against the window as she dozed off - she opened her eyes when the car slowed to a halt, parking in front of her house. She turned to him quickly, to thank him and then at the last moment changed her mind: "Come in for coffee, if you like? I can't promise I'll be awake by the time the kettle is boiled though." He clambered out of the car after her, locking it. Neither of them really sure what was happening. _

"Sorry, but you thought that wise?" He stared at Rachel ludicrously.

"Smithy, what did I say?" She turned to look at Smithy and as their eyes met - the truth came tumbling out: "I was upset and I was jealous… and I know, I had nothing to be jealous of but I was falling in love with you." She spoke quickly in one breath, before she clasped her hand to her mouth and looked away from him.

* * *

"Okay, Tiffany…" Terry spoke calmly to the girl lying in the bed in front of him, she'd been through a terrible ordeal - hadn't been able to give them much of a description. "…We'll call back tomorrow, see if things are any clearer."

"Thank you." The girl, for what it was worth managed a tired smile to Terry.

Jo entered only moments later, and Terry felt he had explain her to .

"Tiffany, this is my colleague Jo, she'll be coming back with me tomorrow, but for now we'll leave you in peace. See you tomorrow." In response the girl offered a sleepy smile, which was interrupted by a yawn.

* * *

"Rachel, I need to think - I'll be back tomorrow okay?" Smithy had been watching Rachel, who had been busying herself watching Sam sleep, she simply looked up and nodded at Smithy, as she watched him leave.

She wiped the tears that were slowly beginning to fall down her cheeks as she attempt one finally explanation at Smithy: "For what it's worth, I'm sorry, Smithy. I never meant for it to end up like this."

Smithy nodded at her and still left quickly.

He walked through the waiting room in a daze, eventually seeing Stevie sitting there, alone. He'd left her with Stone, but he suspected he'd been called back to the station with Leon and Kirsty after the girl was found. He walked off towards Stevie - knowing that it was his constant following Stevie about was what had resulted in this mess, in the first place. He disregarded this thought and crossed the waiting room to her, sitting down next to her.

"Hey." Smithy spoke without looking at her.

"Smithy." Stevie replied, in a similar manner her eyes not leaving the magazine she was reading.

"He isn't mine… Sam, he's not mine." Stevie looked up, but still didn't make her eyes met Smithy's - afraid of the hurt or confusion she'd see there.

"Oh, and are you okay with that?" Stevie turned to face him, gently taking his hand in hers. "Did you ask her?" Smithy remained staring at the space in front of him, as Stevie gently traced circle across his right hand and up his arm.

"Yeah, we had a row, she slept with someone else - it's not like we were together anyway." He sighed deeply, shoulders slumping in defeat, as Stevie wrapped her arm round his shoulders, pulling him closer, until she could place a gentle - comforting kiss against his forehead.

This was a kiss that did not go unnoticed by Jo who was returning with Terry, or by Rachel - who had been standing by the door since Smithy left silent tears coursing down her cheeks, as she cuddled Sam close to her, wishing things were different.

Stevie rose from her seat, after Smithy left he was closely followed by Terry, and quickly crossed the room, in a few quick strides until she reached Jo's side. On her way there she glanced through the glass of the door where Rachel was; she seen her sitting on the edge of the bed, cuddling Sam to her chest tears falling down her cheeks disappearing in to Sam's fluffy blonde hair.

"Ste." Jo looked at her friend, gently putting her hand over the little blonde's arm, trying to tear her gaze away from the sight of Rachel and her child.

"Sorry, Jo…what've we got then?" She turned to face Jo as she finished her sentence.

"Not a lot, we're coming back down tomorrow when she has rested. But, right now, that isn't important - what's with the vacant look Stevie?" Jo looked from Rachel, through the glass, back to her friend - who looked like she was either going to scream or cry.

"It would make sense for Sam to be Smithy's wouldn't it?" Jo focused her eyes on the baby boy, and quickly nodded her head.

"He isn't." Stevie's explanation was short and simple.

"Oh! Is that what that was about then?" Stevie's gaze couldn't quite meet Jo's, and she knew in this moment she was betraying Smithy's confidence but she couldn't understand the information alone. Couldn't understand why Rachel would've done such a thing, she seemed so happy when she was with Smithy - the whole station had noticed it.

"Yeah, he was upset. She slept with someone else, they argued and she went off with someone else." Jo pulled her friend into a hug, tightly, confused as to why Stevie was finding this information so difficult to process, why she was so upset about it.

"Come on, let's just go home, it's been a long day." Stevie nodded and allowed herself to be walked away.

* * *

**Until next time, Anny. X. **

**Again, reviews are love. **


	5. Chapter 4

**No copyright infringement intended.**

**This one is a lot more crime-y, hence why it's taken a bit longer to write. **

**Oh and the flashbacks in this chapter have nothing to do with the ones in three and eight, again they are in italics.**

**Thanks to Meg, DarkneDeadly and Broken-inside-x for reviewing.**

Chapter Four. 

Smithy rolled slowly over, turning to switch off the alarm - which had interrupted his sleeping, and rolled directly into a familiar little blonde Detective Sergeant. His eyes snapped open quickly, as the night flashed before him suddenly, and he never noticed her watching him intently.

_She had just closed the door behind her, when he turned to face her - after putting their take-out dinner down in the kitchen, he looked the picture of sadness. Unsure of what to say to him, she simply wrapped her arms around his neck, and murmured words of comfort..._

In that moment, as Smithy shook himself, he knew what Rachel felt when she told him about Callum, and he understand how she felt the night he chose Stevie over her. Yet he had carried on regardless, trying to prove to himself that he didn't need Rachel - he failed miserably.

* * *

"Morning Tiffany." Jo Master's cheerful, yet caring voiced echoed around the depressing white wash walls of the room, the nineteen year old had been confined to, by over protective nurses and doctors.

"Can I just ask you a few questions? Terry is on his way too, do you mind?" Jo look at the figure of the young single mother sitting up on the bed, and couldn't help but wonder what had led this nineteen year old to keep her daughter.

"No, no go ahead. I just want it over with, if I'm honest." The girl shrugged at Jo as she replied

"Okay sweetheart, we'll just get started then." Jo spoke quietly as Terry walked into the room to join them.

* * *

Smithy smiled at Stevie weakly, as she left his house, heading back to hers before work. He glanced round his hallway, his eyes falling on a picture of him and Rachel taken at the pub one night, it had been Mel who took it - not aware of what she was doing, just aimlessly clicking her camera at anyone who stood still for long enough. That made up Smithy's mind for him and he grabbed his car keys from the table, and slammed the door closed behind him.

* * *

"So…Is there anything else you think we might need to know?" Jo looked between the young girl and Terry - although she could give a description, Jo had a feeling much like Grace's that this was no random attack.

"No, well, I'm not sure… I wasn't going to keep Tamaryn." Tiffany fidgeted in her bed, not quite meeting Jo's eyes, afraid of judgement.

"Okay, I'm not sure whether that would be use…" Terry spoke quietly, not sure why the girl was telling him this, and what bearing it had on the case. Obviously, Jo thought different, because she raised her hamd to stop him talking, and spoken quickly over him, with a question.

"No, wait, Terry. Sorry Tiffany, could you tell me what clinic you were going to?"

"Greenlands." Tiffany spoken quietly, before she closed her eyes sleepily.

"Okay, thank you, you've been very helpful Tiffany! We'll just leave you to get some rest now." Terry looked at Jo in a state of confusion, but she hurried him out the door - with some place of information obviously firmly taking hold of her thoughts.

* * *

Smithy was standing over the cot of Callum Stone's son, and for some reason, despite being the only person who knew that - other than Rachel, of course, he could no longer think of Sam as just Rachel's son. He watched as the little boy wriggled slightly, before he woke up - showing big blue eyes, Rachel's eyes. Sam wriggled his nose seeing that he had company, while Smithy glanced from the baby to his sleeping mother, even in her sleep - she looked worn out and deeply troubled.

Either taking pity on her, or because he loved the sleeping new mother, he picked up the little boy, cradling him in his arms, as the little boy settled back down into a restless sleep. Smithy remained gazing at his face, trying to pick out Rachel's features from Sam's face, he never noticed that she had woken and she was now watching and wishing the scene in front of her was one she woke up to most mornings, and one which was true.

* * *

"Grace?" Jo called merrily, as she swung the door of C.I.D open in search of her friend, upon finding no Grace and merely Mickey, sitting on his chair; pen in mouth, absentmindedly scrunching up pieces of paper and throwing them at the bin by Stevie's desk - which Jo noted, had several pieces of paper lying around it which had obviously missed their target. A quick glance into the D.I's office, told Jo that Grace was not hiding in there.

She back tracked slowly out the office with mischief on her mind - probably what she missed the most about C.I.D. After one final glance to Mickey, she swung the door a lot harder than necessary allowing it to swing back against the wall and collide with a thump. Through the glass of the other door, with glee, she seen Mickey jump, hastily drop the paper which he was about to throw and take his pen in his hand, as he pulled a file towards him.

Smiling happily to herself, she carried on walking - still on her search for Grace, it wasn't like she was the bearer of bad news - she simply had to establish where Grace would go, in the police station. Grace was intelligent, although that quality offered no hints or clues; trained in dealing with child victims - the soft interview room? Surely, if there was a child case going on, Jo would've known about it; analytical - and then it hit Jo, Eddie's lab, of course. She'd been pestering him about the forensics on the handbag taken in the mugging for days now - why would today be any different. Well it was actually, Grace just didn't know it yet. Jo had a link.

She bounded off happily in the direction of Eddie's lab, and lo and behold, to no surprise of Jo's there was Grace - waving her arms about frantically, explaining something to Eddie and still he appeared to be giving her the wrong answer.

"Morning Eddie!" Jo's cheerful presence remained as he entered the lab of the cheeky yet charming CSE.

"Sergeant Masters, what can I do for you?" Eddie's face lit up in delight, Jo assumed it was because it would prevent him from getting the earful, he was more than likely currently getting from Grace.

"Not a lot. Just wanna borrow Grace?" She nodded in the direction of said colleague, as Grace stood up from the table she was perched on to follow Jo out of the room.

Once safely outside, Jo turned to Grace, "That rape case Grace? Nineteen year old, new mother."

"Right, do you want me to help?" Jo shook her head slowly, as she began to explain why she had come in search of Grace.

"No, I can connect her to your mugging victim - they both had appointments at the Greenlands Clinic, but never went. Not that, I've found a suspect or a mutative it's just something I thought you might like to hear. They were attacked a street apart, the mugging on Larkin Road and the rape, just off the alleyway between Larkin Road and Reagent Square. "

Grace looked at her colleague, a little a bit of her theory making sense: "But, if this is the same attacker, mugging to rape is a big leap Jo?"

"Yes, I know. But Rachel was attacked in that alley - is mugging to assault then rape, such a big leap?" Jo raised her eyebrows slightly, as she turned to the most analytical member of C.I.D.

"Has she any connections to the clinic though?" Grace followed suit, in the eyebrow raising - as she contemplated Jo's theory, the worried look which appeared milliseconds later, meant that Grace had accepted her colleague's theory.

"No one asked her, but she does have the baby and alone at that- would it be such a wrong thing to assume she isn't connected?" Jo half turned to walk back down the corridor, as if already aware of how Grace wished to handle the next step.

"Could you try asking her about it…" Grace tried, wishfully, really not wanting to have to try herself, with a woman she had never been particularly close to.

"I could try, can't guarantee she'd be willing to answer though."

* * *

"Hey." Rachel breathed sleepily, voice still hoarse as she watched Smithy cradle her son, so attentively and lovingly. "Wish he'd do that for me…" Smithy turned round to face her properly now she was awake, seeing no joke there - he began realise just how much Rachel was trying to deal with on her own.

"You're his mum, he doesn't want to fall asleep when he's got your undivided attention now does he?" Smithy half smiled at her, attempt humour but in response all he got was a hurt look in her worn out eyes.

"That's just it Smithy, he doesn't sleep. And all everyone says to me is 'he needs his daddy.'" Rachel paused, when she realised what she was doing and turned, shyly to face Smithy. "Sorry Smithy, you don't need to know all this." She looked at him more closely as she directed her speech more towards him.

"Oi." Rachel turned around as she watched Smithy carefully put her son back in the plastic cot, before he put a gentle hand on top of hers, gentle rubbing her palm. "Talk to me Rach?"

"I can't. You wouldn't understand. You'd judge me."

"When you're ready then, I want you to talk to me."

The pair fell into a comfortable silence, which was broken after less than a minute - by the sound of Sam waking for a second time. Rachel was the first to speak, while she was picking Sam from his cot: "I'm sorry he's not yours, you know." Rachel smiled down at the child in her arms, although when she'd first seen her son, she had seen so much of Callum in him - he seemed to have grown into the looks of his mother, something she was slightly grateful for.

"So I am. I'm sorry, I didn't treat you the way I should've." Smithy looked round at Rachel, who was struggling to settle Sam in her arms, and swiftly snatched her hand holding it firmly.

"What are you apologising for.. You never done anything wrong." Rachel finally allowed her eyes to meet his, for a moment before her eyes returned to her baby - who was still fidgeting in her arms.

"I could say the same to you." Rachel looked up from her son to Smithy, unable to read his expression, unsure of what he was trying to say to her.

"Do you not remember what I said to you about me and Callum?" Rachel's subtle attempts at humour, the first Smithy had heard since he'd met her again, didn't quite sound like the Rachel he once knew. Despite knowing something was wrong, he knew he couldn't push her - if he done that, she'd not talk to him even when she felt ready.

"Rachel, let's be serious for a minute. You were honest with me, so I'll be honest with you…"

_His lips crashed onto hers, seemingly from nowhere, the takeout long forgotten, first her lips, then her neck. Then he was pushing her towards the stairs, turning so he was in front of her, leading them up. When they reached the top hallway, Stevie looked at him - maybe with a slight question, so he put his lips to hers again and she didn't stop him - not even when they tumbled towards his bed._

"I wanted to prove to myself that I wasn't upset by what you said." Smithy answered Rachel's unasked question, as he watched her gently comfort her son.

"And did you?" Even as she responded to him, Rachel's eyes didn't stray from her son's face.

Smithy smiled at the scene in front of him sadly, knowing that had he and Rachel been honest over a year, right now they wouldn't be having this conversation and things would be so different. "No I just proved to myself, that I was in love with you all along." Rachel nodded slowly, her eyes still fixed on Sam - refusing to meet Smithy's gaze.

"I can't deal with that Smithy, not just now." It was then he tore her eyes from her son and looked at him, and although Smithy had excepted there to be hurt there - there was now, just sadness.

"I understand that, I really do."

* * *

After half an hour of debating with Grace, it was decided that Jo would be the one to go and speak to Rachel. Then again, Jo was the one who knew, courtesy of a small, chatty, blonde D.S., what Smithy and Rachel were having to deal with that morning. So she took a deep, steadying breath before she pushed open the door - behind which hid Smithy, Rachel and baby Sam from the outside world.

Jo walked into the room, where Rachel was - she was being discharged soon, so the nurse told her. She was sat with her baby in her arms while Smithy's arms were around her gently touching Sam's fluffy blond hair.

"Hey." Jo whispered, unsure if the child was asleep, if so she wasn't planning on wakening him.

Smithy turned quickly, recognising Jo's voice, and Jo continued: "Can I have a little word with Rachel, please Smithy?" Smithy, quickly noted his sergeant's hesitation in speaking with him present, and took this his cue to leave, while doing so he placed a tender, gentle, yet friendly kiss to the top of Rachel's head before the door swung closed behind him. Leaving Jo, Rachel and Sam alone together.

"We've got a possible connection with your attack and a couple of others Rachel, and I'm really sorry to have to ask this?" Rachel nodded sullenly, understanding - having used that phrase herself, many a time - she knew the next question wouldn't bear thinking about, whatever it was. Jo meanwhile, took the nod, as her cue to continued. "Does the Greenlands Clinic mean anything to you Rachel?" She stepped closer towards Rachel, as her eyes filled with unshed tears, the grief and worry on her face showed how much the stress she went through alone had aged her.

"I-I-I, I didn't know if I wanted him?" Rachel fought tears as she tried to explain herself to Jo, believing she had to.

"Shh, darling. It's okay, everyone thinks this at some point. I'm sorry I had to bring that up." Jo's arms were wrapped around Rachel, as the single mother came to terms with revealing her secret to someone, after so long.

* * *

**Well, after a bit of a hassle with this chapter, it's over. I'll admit it, it was meant to be a lot more crime-y than it was..**

**So, Yeah, Until next time. And hopefully it wont take as long. **


	6. Chapter 5

**Okay, so apparently, I have exams in about a month. So getting as much of this done while I still can.. **

**Also I can't remember how old Jake is meant to be so I've made him 12 - because that seems about right.**

**Moving on with chapter 5. **

**I do not own "The Bill" Talkback Thames/ITV have the pleasure of that. No copyright infringement intended. **

Chapter Five.

Rachel Weston looked at herself, in the mirror of the female locker room; her bruises were fading - well it had been over a week now, and her cuts were gone. She walked cautiously towards the door, ready to start her first day as Sunhill's D.I. She reached the door, and pulled her phone out her pocket - worried about how Sam was coping with the babysitter; how the babysitter was coping with Sam. She dismissed her fears as being silly, and slipped her phone back in her pocket and continued out the door and made her way up to C.I.D.

* * *

"Okay, so what've got Grace?" Jo walked into the incident room, carrying two cups of polystyrene coffee.

"Not a lot, well three crimes, all related - all getting gradually worse; the mugging of Mary Wilson, Rachel's assault, and the rape of Tiffany Connor. All three victims are connected through the Greenlands Clinic in West Canley - although, none of them aborted their pregnancy. No clues, no motive, no suspect, no evidence!" Grace ended her sentence sighing exasperatedly, as she took her cup of steaming coffee from Jo.

"Any way of keeping Rachel's name out this?" Jo turned to Grace, as she watched, through the glass window of the incident room, as Neil greeted his fellow D.I.

"Not a chance, she's the connection - without her it could pretty much be a coincidence." Jo sighed, shrugging knowing what Grace was going to say.

* * *

Stevie had been in the canteen reading the file that Jo and Grace had left her with; truthfully, she was avoiding Rachel and hoping to bump into Smithy. Both wishes were granted when after ten minutes she seen Smithy, and so far had successfully avoided Rachel.

"Hey." Smithy moved across the canteen, with his cup and sat down across from her.

"Hi." Stevie looked up and smiled at him, still aimlessly flicking through the pages of the folder.

"What you doing down here then?" Smithy sipped from his cup, while he glanced across to her.

"Nothing, I mean, working - just needed a change of scene." Stevie offered Smithy a strained smile, before returning to her file.

"So… that will be, avoiding Rachel - because she knows about us?" Smithy put his cup gently to the saucer, and reached over taking Stevie's hand slowly. "We've spoke about us Stevie, how we'd be so much better as friends, we always were."

Stevie snatched her hand away from Smithy's grip - afraid someone would see, and read in to it so much more than necessary, as she replied to him, trying to make him understand why she was feeling so bad: "I know, doesn't stop me feeling guilty about it though."

"I'm sorry I told you about why we had rowed." Smithy looked across the table to his friend guiltily, trying to prove it with a small smile.

"It's my fault Smithy, you and Rachel, you were going to have something really worth keeping - and me, needing a bit of cheering up that stopped you going to her that night." Stevie sighed tiredly, ever since Smithy had told her about Rachel and the other man, she couldn't control the guilt she felt that such a friendly night between her and Smithy where to forget her own problems she'd sat and listened to how much Smithy wanted to make a go of thing with Rachel; ironically it was the night where that seemed less likely to happen, than ever.

* * *

"Okay.. And he's okay Sharon? Yes, thank you. Sorry, I just wanted to make sure he wasn't being a hassle." Rachel Weston put her phone on her desk, after her fourth phone call home that morning.

Neil Manson walked out of the shared office, and was immediately cornered by Grace, concern plastered all over her face. "What, Grace?"

"Was that her phoning the babysitter again?" Grace tilted her head towards the D.I's office to indicate who she was talking about.

"Yes, why?" She turned around to see Rachel fiddle with her computer for a moment, and nodded slightly with his response.

"She's done it several times this morning." Grace spoke in a non-committal tone, simply stating a fact. But it was apparent to Neil that she was building up for big explanation of why she shouldn't have been doing it.

"Is that a problem Grace?" He spoke realising he may as well ask, knowing he'd get the answer anyway.

"Is she alright, I mean can you remember what Pippa was like the first day she left Jake with a minder?" Grace tried tentatively, once again, glancing round to watch the new inspector type something into her computer.

Neil shrugged at Grace's question trying to remember some 12 years ago. "She was fine, I suppose she just trusted Lynne, that was Jake's minder until he was about four. Grace's I'm not following you here?"

"It's nothing, just a thought, maybe she isn't ready to be back at work, yet?" Grace shrugged and began to walk away, worried she was maybe getting too involved in Rachel's life. Though she felt knowing what she knew that maybe Rachel wasn't coping quite as well with Sam than what met the eye, knowing that once upon time, Rachel herself wasn't sure if she'd cope with her unborn child.

"I'll keep an eye on her, Grace, would that put your mind at rest?" Neil called softly after her, not wanting the conversation to end.

Grace turned and walked the few steps back to him, changing the subject slightly. "Yes, I suppose so. So, dinner tonight?"

"Where do you fancy?" A smile spread across Neil's face as he replied to her, it seemed infectious when the hints of a smile formed at the corners of Grace's mouth.

"I thought mine, bring Jake - if you like?" She added on the ending, afraid that maybe Neil would feel it was too soon for them to meet, although he had told Grace that his son knew about her.

"That would be lovely, Grace. Jake will fairly excited too, I'll see if he can make it." He smiled at her, as he retrieved his phone from his pocket obviously ready to make the plans for the evening.

"Okay! I need to go interview some doctors with Jo, but please keep an eye on her." Grace nodded her head in Rachel's direction, as she ended her sentence, seeing Rachel lift her phone again, before placing it back down on the receiver and sighing deeply, before leaving the office.

* * *

Once safely in the car Jo turned on her friend, having noticed how concerned she'd been in the office, when she dropped in to say she was ready to go. "Everything okay Grace?"

"Yeah, it's fine Jo. I'm just a bit worried about Rachel." Jo's lips formed an 'o-shape' as Grace continued: "Don't you think she's a bit…"

"Overly anxious, worried, panicky? Yes. But she's a new mother Grace, a single one at that - she doesn't really know how she has left her son with and she's got no one to share how she feels with." Jo turned to her colleague and shot her a reassuring smile.

"It's a sign, Jo…" Grace trailed off sadly, realising that she too was beginning to sound manic.

"I know, it's just, you can't go in there to her, getting all hysterical, when she's simply trying to see if her son is okay."

"I know. Sorry! Do you know any of these Doctors?" Grace turned to Jo, unsure of how she should be feeling towards Rachel, still slightly concerned about the woman and her erratic behaviour that she had witnessed earlier.

"Never heard of one of them! Still I don't suppose you would, with them working in such a confidential place."

"Yes about that, how are we getting information out of them, with patient confidentiality?"

"Ahh, my dear, dear Grace. We're working on a rape case, and technic-al-ly, they were never patients." Jo drew out her word, as though stressing her point - as Grace turned the car into the clinic car park.

Once inside the woman approached the receptionist, "Hi, Sergeant Masters, D.C. Dasari Sunhill. Could we speak to either a Dr Carter, Mill or Williams, please?" Jo addressed the small, painfully thin woman sporting a short brown bob, with glasses perched on her nose - highlighting her cheek bones.

"Can I ask what it is regarding, please?" The receptionist only briefly glanced up to regard the two woman now stood opposite her.

"An on-going investigation…" Grace continued the conversation, with a simple flash of her warrant card - just in case Jo's uniform didn't do the trick.

"I'm afraid they're busy at the moment."

"Okay well then can we speak to the manager?"

"I'll see what I can do…"

"Thank you." Jo ended the conversation with the receptionist, half seriously, half sarcastically.

* * *

"All units, Sierra Oscar, reports of the body of a woman found - the alleyway off Larkin Road, blonde, IC1, late twenties to early thirties. Ambulance en route, ETA 5 minutes. Any unit deal, over?" The voice of the operator snapped Mel and Nate from their comfortable silence, and the blues and twos were flicked on, as Nate speed off towards the alleyway.

"Sierra Oscar from 148, show me and 876 dealing over."

As the officers clambered from their car, they noticed a small group of people being to form around the entrance to the alleyway and one woman rushed forward to great them. "You need to get to her, she's in a bad way." Nate nodded reassuring at the woman, and walked towards the alleyway, snapping on his purple gloves as he went.

Mel meanwhile pulled her radio to her mouth: "Sierra Oscar from, show us TOA over. Any word on the ambulance?"

"ETA one minute, over."

Mel rushed off towards the alleyway that Nate had just disappeared down. She was stopped suddenly by him waving frantically, to stop her getting any further. "Mel, don't come down here. Get the Inspector, and the D.I down here!"

"Nate, what's going on?" Mel paused slightly, at the urgency in his tone, before trying to make her way forward - still not one for doing what she was told, even if it was for her own good.

Seeing this Nate, tried one final tactic to stop her getting any closer: "It's Kirsty, Mel…"

* * *

**Annnnd, that'll be chapter 5, then. **

**So, Until next time. Anny. X. **

**P.s. Reviews are love. **


	7. Chapter 6

**So once again, thanks to: Meg, DarknessDeadly, Meg, Broken-Inside-x and WRobsessed, who have reviewed the story and those others who read it.**

**The Bill doesn't belong to me.. No copyright infringement intended.**

**This was sitting there waiting to be uploaded, didn't realise it hadn't been.. **

**Unsure when I'll get this updated again - possibly/hopefully some point next week. **

**So to those who still want to remain with it, sorry for the long wait.**

Chapter Six.

Grace and Jo were returning to the station when they heard the call, Jo's radio crackling to life. They also heard the second part of the call, this time from Nate.

"Sierra Oscar from 876, the victim, it's Kirsty… Can I get the ambulance ETA?"

The place, the victim - both woman had blocked out the remainder of the message and focused themselves of on getting back to the station to see what was going on.

* * *

"How is she, Mel?" Smithy had rushed through the same doors of St Hugh's as he had when they found Rachel, though this time he wasn't running just quite as fast. He glanced at the young P.C. who's head was buried in Nate's shoulder - Nate's face was stony, staring through the glass at the blonde P.C. who was lying terrifyingly still, paler than usual and the only clue as to why were the distinct purple marks that were form around her neck, jaw and left cheek and eyes - her right side, however, was home to cuts and gazes - the side which she had obviously landed on.

As though sensing Mel's, quite apparent, distress, Smithy decided taking his chances with a nurse, leaving Kirsty's bedside and approached her to find out information on how his officer was doing.

* * *

"Rachel?" Neil called softly through his office door from the main office, he watched the new D.I. hesitantly rise from her seat and move towards the door to face him, his face tensed as she got nearer and she knew something was wrong. "They've got another attack, same alleyway as you…" He trailed off nervously, worried about how she would react to her attack being brought up.

"Who?" Rachel glanced from Neil then past him to the rest of the office, seeing their grim expressions she knew that this was some how personal.

"It was Kirsty, Rachel." Neil quite his eyes trained on Rachel, looking for any sign of distress in her.

"Oh." The female inspectors lips formed an O-shape as she slowly processed what Neil was telling her.

"I don't understand, are you saying that there are two separate attackers here?"

"What? One attacking the Greenlands clients, and the other attacking police officers. Because you have sort of blown that theory Rachel?" Neil looked from Rachel to the wall behind her not making eye contact, as he reminded her of her own assault and how it had helped form the link of the attacks on woman in the area.

"I suppose. How is she?" Rachel shrugged as heard Neil's words, still wanting to find a reason for her assault - that didn't make her feel quite so guilty about having the thoughts of not keeping her son.

"Still unconscious… Smithy was talking to the nurse last I heard." Neil smiled encouragingly at her, as though he could read her mind.

"Okay, thanks Neil." She meekly returned the small smile, as she headed out of the office and into the main C.I.D office to find someone to fill her in completely.

* * *

"Rape, serious assault…" The nurse could only watch Smithy's expression change, as she revealed the news - still unaware that the victim was in fact police officer, and more importantly one of Smithy's team. "… that's just the initial examination, Inspector Smith, we'll have to wait until Miss knight regains consciousness to give a full examination." Smithy took in the nurse's words and nodded softly, before heading back over to where Nate and Mel were.

* * *

"Ma'am…?" Stevie had attempted to get her bubbly, blonde, bouncy persona back to a decent degree before she entered the Inspectors office - she was concerned about the way that Rachel was coping with the assault on Kirsty and the link to her own assault; since finding out about Kirsty, she had locked herself away in her office and hadn't spoken to anyone.

"Are you okay?" When Stevie heard her own voice it was timid and nervous, and Stevie Moss didn't do timid and she certainly didn't do nervous. But she was nervous, nervous that she'd maybe say something she regretted to Rachel over her and Smithy - though she knew she too was in the wrong, she couldn't help but feel that Smithy had somehow been hard done by, in this incidence.

"Yes, yes, sorry Stevie. It's nothing. Honestly." Rachel barely glanced up from the file, she'd got from Grace - she had compiled the mugging, Rachel's attack and the rape while she attempted to work on an offender profile.

"If you're sure, you can talk to me if you need to…" Again, she sounded nervous, but the words she said were true - she hoped that if something was really troubling Rachel, she would talk to someone about it - so she wasn't bottling anything up and then preparing herself to explode.

Stevie turned to leave the office, when Rachel suddenly looked up at the blonde sergeant, who she'd spent a good bit of last year fighting with - though not visibly to either of them really - from Smithy's attention. From the moment Rachel saw them together at the hospital she knew that they were still as close as ever, so she wasn't sure what made sense about asking Stevie: "You known about Sam don't you?"

"I know, he isn't Smithy's - like I thought, yes." Stevie looked at Rachel the entire time, and for the first time, seeing the look in Rachel's eyes as she said, she didn't feel angry with her. She felt sorry for her, a little - she had noticed the look in her eyes: sadness, guilt and very probably regret.

"Yes. I thought so." Rachel suddenly looked away from Stevie, as a single tear rolled slowly down her cheek, before she glanced rather hesitantly at the clock on the wall, opposite Stevie.

Stevie followed Rachel's eyes line and her eyes fell to the clock, and then realisation hit her: "Do you need to get Sam?"

"Mhm…" The positive murmuring noise gave the little D.S. her answer, as she watched Rachel lift her coat and hand bag, and step carefully out the office - leaving Stevie there.

* * *

"Hi Kirsty." The nurse, who had been earlier talking to Smithy, was standing by Kirsty's bedside when she slowly flickered her eyes open, before closing them and attempting to open them again - allowing them to adjust to the light, in the bright white washed room.

"Hi…" Her voice was hoarse as she replied.

"I'm just going to call your colleagues, Kirsty, and then I'll be back with the doctor, okay?" The nurse smiled fondly at Kirsty, before she swiftly exited the room. Allowing Kirsty to settle herself in a more comfortable position.

* * *

Armed with her son, in his car seat, Rachel Weston took herself back up the stairs to C.I.D - unable to sit still at home, thinking of Kirsty and the fact that had she not had Sam she would still be in the station just now trying to piece together evidence.

As she took two quick strides from the door to Stevie's desk, on top of which she placed Sam in his seat, she perched herself carefully on the edge, expecting the D.S. to fill her in on what they had gained - in the hour and forty minutes in which she had been gone.

"She's woken up, not ten minutes ago. Smithy sent Leon to get a sort of start off statement.

"Okay… anything else?" Rachel watched Stevie, but she was gazing at the baby boy on her desk, completely distracted.

"Absolutely nothing…" After a few seconds of waiting Rachel was eventually granted an answer from the D.S.

Rachel sighed deeply, and allowed her gaze to wander back to her sleeping son, as Stevie got up rushing off the direction of Terry and Jo who were at the far end of the room. Slowly and uncertainly, she lift the handle of Sam's car seat and began walking.

* * *

"Neil…?" Grace called across the incident room, in an almost threatening manner, as she watched Rachel move from Stevie's desk to the Inspectors' office taking Sam with her.

"Yes Grace?" The inspector called back almost instantly as he approached Grace and fixed his gaze on her line of sight, he too noticing Rachel disappear into the office.

"I thought you said that you were going to keep an eye on her?" Grace didn't look at him once while she spoke, just remained looking straight ahead.

"I did, Grace. All day. I promise!" Upon hearing his humorous tome, Grace turned suddenly to face him and nodded slowly.

"I suppose I did promise dinner - but after today, maybe it's just as well that Jake couldn't make tonight." Neil nodded his agreement but paused suddenly as it was now him who was caught up in watching Rachel gently rock her son in his seat, before she rose and closed the blinds restricted the view that Grace and Neil had of her.

"Do you think I should try to convince her to take more time off?" Grace looked up, confused - convinced she'd said the very same thing to him earlier that day.

She stood for a moment, noticing that the blinds were now drawn, she nodded her head softly as she thought of mother and baby - and realised that she didn't know what would be for the best: "If you think it would help, maybe…"

Neil nodded, his only response before he buried himself in the partial profiles that Grace had being drawing up since that afternoon.

* * *

"Leon…" Kirsty turned to face the door as she heard it creak open.

"Hi, Kirsty." Leon spoke softly as he made his way into the room, and towards her bed and sat in the seat by her side as she moved herself into sitting position.

"You here to take a statement then?" Kirsty frowned slightly as she asked her question, fully aware as to why Leon was not sitting by her side.

"Yeah, sorry…" Leon trailed off nervously, beginning to wonder whether of not that Smithy had made the right decision in sending him instead of Terry or Jo.

* * *

Jo walked from the incident room, to C.I.D. quickly heading directly for the inspectors' office - in search of Rachel. Feeling that if she could speak to Kirsty, then if Kirsty had a had her own connection to the Greenlands clinic she wouldn't feel so bad about revealing it to someone who already had revealed a similar secret. When she got there however, Rachel was no where in sight; but little Sam was, alone in the dark office sound asleep in his car seat.

* * *

"Kirsty…?" Leon looked frantically from his colleague to the door, as Kirsty winced in pain; her eyes closing tightly and her hand instinctively move towards the source of pain.

Leon could only look for a moment before he was on his feet and out the door in search of nurse or doctor, unable to see Kirsty in such pain.

* * *

Knowing she had to go to the hospital and get the final statement from Kirsty as soon as possible, Jo Masters was in search of someone to watch Sam until Rachel return - Jo assumed that she couldn't have ventured far, after all she'd left Sam behind. Her first thought was Stevie, who had seemed rather taken by the child, but then the common sense side of Jo's thought process kicked in and she realised just how impractical it would be giving Sam to the easily distracted little blonde - she probably would get next to no work done in the time she had the sleeping infant, in fact she'd probably wake him up, just to prevent doing any work.

Jo's second thought, however was Grace and this seemed like a much more practical solution - Grace was in the incident room, trying to put together a offender profile - so a sleeping infant on the desk beside her wouldn't be too much of a problem. Gratefully, Jo left Sam in the care of Grace with instructions to immediately take him to Rachel - when she first got the chance so the new mother didn't panic that her son wasn't where she'd left him. Though as Jo hurried from the room, pulling on her stab vest as went - she missed the anxious look that passed from Grace to the remaining inspector and back again.

* * *

"I didn't realise she was a colleague Sergeant Masters." The nurse who had spent most of her day speaking to Smithy and Leon - now found herself talking to a third police officer, this time a woman and a sergeant - well she'd already seen the Inspector and 3 P.C's.

"Yes… how is she?" Jo looked at the nurse as she approached her - she'd been waiting patiently on the nurse who had been treating Kirsty since she was admitted.

"I would've said she was up for questions, not twenty minutes ago - but she suffered a miscarriage a few moments ago. She suffered a serious assault, it's hardly surprising it's just we hadn't checked for pregnancy yet, she was in the early stages - ten weeks at most. You can see her if you like?" Jo nodded at the nurse and followed her into the room where Kirsty was.

Seeing Jo enter the room, Leon stood and left the room, leaving Kirsty alone with Jo. "Hey…" Jo's voice was soft and calm as she walked to the side of Kirsty's bed.

"Sarge.." Kirsty looked at Jo her eyes red-rimmed and her cheeks tear-stained.

"I'm sorry, sweetheart, the nurse told me. How're you doing?" Jo reached out and took the young P.C's hand.

"Yeah, I'm okay! I wasn't sure what I was going to do anyway, bit of a shock." The sudden revelation from Kirsty, provoked nothing but a shock silence from Jo. So Kirsty continued talking, having been over it all with Leon, and the doctor only allowing her a few minutes to speak; "Leon was saying about the connections to the clinic, Greenlands, I had an appointment there - last week, I never went, couldn't decide what to do. I just figure it would be best to tell you just now. Leon's taken my statement."

"Thank you. Just you rest now…" Jo smiled sympathetically at the P.C. and let go of her hand after one final reassuring squeeze - before walking away, "Goodnight Kirsty." Jo whispered quietly as she let the door swing closed behind her softly. While she took a final glance back at the sleeping P.C. Jo herself, was heading back to the station for a night of work and a new victim for Grace - who she hoped wasn't still looking after Sam.

* * *

**Another chapter over. **

**So, Until next time.**


	8. Chapter 7

"**The Bill" still doesn't belong to me, so no copyright infringement intended.**

**Chapter Seven and this one is a lot more crime based, than the previous ones.**

Chapter Seven.

* * *

Jo Masters first port of call upon her return to Sunhill was to check in on Grace and what she had discovered in her absence. She cast her eyes quickly around the little room, spotting Sam's empty car seat, before she entered.

"Have you got that staff list Grace?" Jo called to the D.C. as she found Grace frantically writing away; one eye on what she was writing and the other on the notes she appeared to be reading.

"Yeah. Kirsty give us anything new?" Grace looked up sharply, to her colleague with desperation, hoping that she had brought something else for her to work with.

"Just a little more to go on, she had an appointment at Greenlands, Grace." Grace didn't speak, she just looked at her Jo, her eyes asking the question that she couldn't say.

"She never went through with. Suffered quite a brutal assault by all means, and lost the baby about forty minutes ago." Grace nodded, understanding: tread carefully.

Jo kept talking, though Grace was still processing information: "When'd Rachel take Sam?"

"Oh!" Grace looked back towards Jo remembering that the child had been in her care. "Um, about ten minutes ago, maybe. Yeah, about then." Grace consulted her watch before giving Jo her final answer. The sergeant nodded her thanks before she left.

* * *

"Hey, you…" Dale Smith entered the D.I's office having seen Rachel retreat there with Sam in her arms only moments before. He watched the young D.I. carefully as she looked up at him, with an almost slight pleading in her eyes.

"Hey… Oh it's you!" Suddenly, Rachel looked a lot brighter, and Smithy seized this opportunity to make sure everything was just as rosy as she painted it.

"Yeah, it's me. Listen Rachel…is everything okay?" He reached across her desk taking her hand and squeezing it reassuringly - or what he thought was reassuringly.

"Yeah, it's fine. I mean it's Kirsty isn't it? Just want to help find who done that to her, not sit at home doing nothing. Sam's a baby he can sleep anywhere." She shrugged off Smithy's question, by cleverly, deliberately misinterpreting it. She wasn't ready to answer the real question not just yet.

"Not exactly what I meant Rachel…" He bit his nervously as he attempt to press her for information, for the admission that she maybe needed a little help.

"And what did you mean Smithy?" All brightness faded from her eyes and was replaced by hardness, as she tried to come to terms with Smithy of all people suggesting that she couldn't cope with her son.

"Um, I just meant, was thinking, you seem tired…" He trailed off nervously realising that he had went about it the wrong way, that she wasn't ready for this conversation yet.

"Yeah, well so would you! In fact if I look so tired, here…" Rachel paused briefly when she realised how mush she raised her voice, in the last few seconds. It never stopped her intended actions; she had reached breaking point, and she continued her sentence at a lower volume: "…you take him." She reached over her desk and placed her son in shock Smithy's arms, before snatching her bad, slinging it over her shoulder and rushing from C.I.D.

* * *

"What was that about?" The tiny figure of Stevie Moss appeared in the doorway, snapping Smithy from his trance.

"Think I pushed her too far…" He tried to reason mentally with himself over what had just happened; it was clear that Rachel wasn't coping fantastically, and he should've probably spoken to her about it slightly more tactfully.

"Ri-ight…" Stevie paused in thought. "…shouldn't you go after her?" She looked at Smithy expectantly, as she gently took the restless child from his arms, and gently coo-ed him back to sleep.

"Wouldn't that do more harm than good though?" Smithy watched Stevie smile slightly as the child in her arms drifted back into a peaceful slumber.

"Depends." Stevie replied with a slow shrug, watching as Smithy sunk down on to inspectors desk; before suddenly spring upwards and leaving C.I.D, what he was going to do and where he was going though, they were anyone's guess.

Stevie shrugged to Mickey across the office, as he watched Smithy leave, and made her way over to him. Sitting down on the edge of his desk, she sighed huffishly.

"What?" Mickey looked up from his paperwork, to the thoroughly bored looking little blonde.

"Babies are dull…" She responded lowly with another sigh.

Mickey smirked at her, as he seen the playful glint in her eye; thoughts obviously circling her brain. "He's asleep, Ste."

Her only response was to stomp huffishly from the room, in search of Sam's car seat. As she did she past a hurrying Grace, who had obviously discovered something.

* * *

The rain was pelting down heavily against her face; the only positive in the situation was that rain washed away her salty tears. She hadn't taken her coat, just ran. She ducked her head to prevent her face being even more battered by the wind and rain. Her blonde hair soaked.

She watched her phone flash, reading: 'Smithy'. Again. She sighed and ended yet another call. Focusing on walking, not that she had planned where, she was just walking. She didn't want to know what he was going to say to her. She dreaded it if she was being honest. She knew she shouldn't have done what she did. But she couldn't cope any longer. So for now, she had to keep on walking.

* * *

A bit of a rushed briefing, consisting of: Smithy, Grace, Jo, Neil, Jack, Max, Stevie, Mickey, Leon, Kirsty, Mel and Rodger took place in the briefing room just off C.I.D. Grace had been doing background checks on the clinic staff and had found an interesting piece of information - which may have hinted towards a motive.

"Judy Platt, nee Dell, the receptionist. Married to Gregory Platt, as of 1999. They're on their third round of IVF, previous attempts have been unsuccessful." Grace paused and looked to Jo for support.

"Look, guys, we know it's minor, but how would you feel when everyday you seen woman ending pregnancies - when all you wanted was to have a child of your own. I think we should maybe have a word, in the morning. But for now, is there any chance you could just all do some background checks, see if anything comes relating to either husband or wife?" There were murmurs of agreement and consent as Jo finished talking, and slowly the briefing room, began to empty.

Stevie remained still, waiting to the end, not wanting to crush baby Sam in the stampede out the door. Jack, however noticed this. "Stevie, where's Rachel?"

The D.S. biting her lip, thinking about what to say, and eventually went for the semi-truth: "She just popped out. Should be back soon." She fixed a grin on her face, until the Superintendent turned away, when she cast a worrying glance at Smithy. It had been over a couple of hours now.

* * *

Stevie Moss was startled by the sudden noise to her left, looking round suddenly, she watched Sam Weston struggle in his car seat before she carefully lifted him out. She placed him delicately on her knee, she wasn't sure if he needed to be feed, she wasn't even sure if Rachel had brought a bottle with her. So she was thankful when he seemed to be content enough with the attention she was giving him. She was bouncing the cheerful baby about on her knees when Mickey wandered over to her.

"Wake him up, did you?" He smirked at her cheekily, as he took one of Sam's little hands in his own.

Stevie stuck her tongue out at him playfully, as she replied: "No! Woke up! I don't know where Rachel left his bag?" Stevie glanced up at Mickey as she explained herself.

* * *

"Sir!" A blonde IBO operator called across the room to Jack who was just about to turn and leave. "We've got a call about a body. By the Thames."

Jack took in the information and paled, he had heard that before, and the outcome wasn't a pleasant one. It had rattled the whole station. He regained his voice: "Did you get a description?"

"Early to mid thirties, IC1, female…" The young woman trailed off, when she became unable to reading Jack's expression.

"Rachel…" He almost spoke silently. He had a horrible feeling in the pit of his stomach. He knew Rachel had been struggling, but she hadn't been willing to accept it herself. He just hoped that they hadn't all left it a bit to late.

"A body?" Jo and Grace were talking in hushed whispers by the coffee machine.

"By the Thames, Super's scared it's the D.I - her description. Anyway, we better get in there he wanted a briefing, before he went to do the ID." Jo continued her explanation to Grace, who had gotten considerably paler, since they had arrived at the coffee machine.

Coffee in hand, the pair headed for the briefing room.

* * *

**I was feeling a slight cliffhanger, so yeah, that's chapter 7 done. **

**Hopefully I'll get chapter 8 done soon too, I appear to be snowed in. **

**Reviews are love.. *hint***


	9. Chapter 8

**I do not own The Bill, I think ITV/Talkback Thames still do, no copyright infringement intended. **

Chapter Eight.

* * *

Jack Meadows walked silently from IBO to his office, he had had a quick discussion with Jo, who had immediately got a briefing organised - due to take place in about twenty minutes. As he passed C.I.D, he glanced through the glass in the door; watching Stevie and Mickey attempting to work out what little Sam needed. He smiled slightly at the sight - he'd never have expected to see Stevie with a baby, but Mickey was even less likely.

"Mickey…" Sticking his head in the door Jack called to Mickey.

"Sir." The blonde D.C. appeared at the door in a matter of seconds, a questioning look plastered on his face.

"My office -" Jack had planned on speaking, but he had seen Stevie glance up curiously, and suspected that she shouldn't hear the news, by over hearing so to speak. He began to walk towards his office with Mickey at his heels.

"What's going on." Mickey spoke the words the second that he had closed the office door, behind himself and Jack, confused as to what was so important they had to talk about it in the privacy of Jack's office.

Jack looked at the D.C. unsure of what to tell him, but he did need his advice, he knew the horrible memories that what he was going to say would bring back - but, again, it was something which had to be done. "A body has been found, down by the Thames…" He trailed off taking a breath, as he watched Mickey pale - and the memories flood across his eyes.

"They found Cass down there…" Mickey muttered almost to himself, memories to almost eight years ago floating to the surface, when the bubbly young P.C. became the fifth victim of the serial killer.

"I know. Mickey, just listen the body it matches Rachel's description. Now, I'm going to do the ID but I need to brief everyone, because the press will be stick their noses in soon, and I'd rather the troops heard it from me than second hand information, that could be wrong." Jack cut him off quickly, before they got off track. He still hadn't asked the question, which was the reason he brought him here.

"So…?" Mickey was snapped by his thoughts by Jack's words, but he still couldn't understand why he was being told before everyone else. He looked back up at the superintendent expectantly.

"Smithy?" Jack said only one word, but Mickey understand, realisation suddenly dawning on him, he glanced up at the superintendent worriedly, as he thought of Smithy's reaction.

"He can't hear at the briefing." It was a quick, sudden statement, but it was all Jack needed to hear.

"Thought as much, I'll talk to him, you fill Stevie in and stay with her and Sam for the time being." Jack's response was muttered quickly, as he left the office, leaving Mickey standing there.

* * *

"I am sorry, Smithy. I know you two were close." The inspector looked up at the Superintendent as he processed the words.

"It won't be her, I know it won't." Even as he said the positive words Dale Smithy didn't believe them, not fully. "Can I go with you…" He tried, already knowing the answer.

"I think it's best you stay here, in case she comes back." Jack had to say that, he couldn't let Smithy go to St Hughes with him, just in case.

"Sir.." With no word of warning Smithy had the left the office, and Jack followed suit realising the time and that he was due in the briefing room five minutes previous.

* * *

When Mickey walked through the office doors; he never seen Stevie gently bouncing Rachel's son in her arms; gently singing her own rendition of 'Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star' trying to send the boy back to sleep. He was completely in a world of his, he only reached C.I.D through memory, he was completely concentrating on what he had just heard and the heart break it could cause.

Stevie seen him though, and she bounced over happily, Sam still in her arms. "Hey…" Stevie's cheery voice snapped Mickey back into reality as he re-entered the C.I.D. office, Jack's words still ringing in his ear.

"Hi." His own voice was dull, and nothing like the way it had been when they had been with Sam earlier.

The dullness Stevie picked up on and the awkwardness she felt went into talking until it wasn't so awkward anything more; she was sure she seen upset in his eyes, written over his face. "Jo said something about a briefing, is it important, because I don't think that I should take Sam and I don't think I should leave -"

"Stevie, stop!" Mickey's sharp harsh words cut her off. "Sorry.." He apologised seeing the hurt written all over her face, he did regret raising his voice to her the way he had, but he had to tell her. But her pausing let him continue. "You aren't going. I'm not going. Sam's not going. Sit down and let me explain." Stevie nodded again, and opened her month to speak, but Mickey silenced her with a finger to her lips - letting her know that she hadn't to speak until he was done; it was easier that way.

* * *

A cleverly placed Jo Masters was the final piece in Jack's plan. When Smithy entered his office; slamming the door behind him, putting his hands over his face his head back against the door, banging it. She was there. Sitting in his chair, behind his desk, to make sure he never went anywhere.

"Might not be her, you know…"

Smithy took his hands from his face, as he heard the voice: this was his office, he'd only just come in, why would anyone else be in it. He looked at his desk, and seen Jo sitting there. Her gentle, caring face, let him ask the question he dreaded being true: "What if it is?"

"What if it isn't?" Jo threw his question back at him, as though testing his feelings. "It probably isn't, I mean, would she really leave Sam… really, deep down, would she?" Smithy shook his head mutely, as the sergeant crossed the room, to lean against the wall opposite him.

* * *

"Right settle down!" The authoritative voice of Jack meadows silenced the briefing room. Once he had there full attention he continued knowing this wasn't going to be easy. "At about six thirty this evening, D.I Weston left this station and no one has heard from her since." He paused taking in the faces of confusion. He only realised this was a mistake when the rabble took up, and he had to shout to make himself heard again.

"Right! At about midnight, we got a call about the discovery of a body, pretty badly battered - so far they haven't been able to say whether it was murder or suicide, by the Thames." He glanced around the room, at the rabble that, again, did want to take over. But figured if he continued talking, they would have to listen. "Barton Street attended the scene. The description we've got does match that of D.I Weston, but I'm going down to do the I.D. soon, so until then that is all we've got." Jack looked at the potent ional rabble and decided to throw one final point at them: "If you need to discuss it, do so within this station. Remember that nothing is confirmed."

With that he hastily left the briefing room, heading upstairs to get his stab vest, jacket and hat and leave for St. Hughes.

* * *

Jack Meadows took a steadying breath as he followed the morgue attendant in. Suddenly he came face to face with a table draped in white sheets. The attendant stood by, waiting on Jack to give him to okay.

"How tall is she?" It was a snap decision, but he figured if he knew that, then he would be half way prepared for what he was going to.

"Five four, five five…"

"Right, yeah, okay…" As the attendant's hands went to move the sheet, Jack did wonder if he'd be able to go through with it.

* * *

**Okay, so I decided to split this chapter up to throw another little cliffhanger at it. **

**For the last chapter, I got a lot more reading than reviewing, yes, I know people reading it is nice - but I do like feedback.. Good or bad? However, for the people reading this is for you - after making the wait so long for the parts previous to the last chapter. **


	10. Chapter 9

**Okay, I don't own anything. Nothing. Do I have to say this every time? **

**Still snowed in.. ish.**

**For Meg and Not Another Screen Name and everyone else reading it. **

**Flashbacks are in italics. **

Chapter 9.

* * *

"Sorry to trail you all back here tonight…" Jack Meadows started, unsure about how to explain; his trip to the hospital had been an emotional one. He looked around at his officers; his colleagues, their faces showed fear and grief. "I know, you've all been pulling double shifts, and I know how you all want to find who hurt Kirsty. But I felt you should be the first to know that, the body, erm… she wasn't Rachel." The haunting silence remained throughout the room; shock, relief, guilt at the relief because someone was still dead? He couldn't be sure.

The voice of Jo Masters broke the silence: "She's been gone a long time Gov, and I am starting to get a bit worried." She paused as she began walking to were Jack stood. "If you could all just keep a bit of an eye out for her, because there is still a child up there without his mother." There were murmurs of agreement as the assembled officers began moving out the room; back to their duty.

* * *

They had barely had a few hours sleep, before the officers of Sunhill station were back there, doing their job. That and looking for Rachel, who had left the station after a slight altercation with Smithy just a little over twelve hours previously.

Alternating between sleep and waking up worrying about Sam; had been the five hours which Stevie and Mickey had been her house for, with the baby still in their care. Both stifling yawns and carrying baby car seats and bags they emerged back into the station just after the seven the next morning. They met Jo and Grace on the way, who decided that they would catch receptionist, Judy Platt, before work to have a chat.

* * *

In the distance Callum Stone seen the small blonde figure of Rachel Weston; curled up, head gently resting on her knees, on a wooden park bench. The closer he got the colder she looked. He couldn't be certain how long she'd been there, all night was a thought, but it was a thought that he no longer stand. He approached her uncertainly, not sure of how she was going to react by his presence.

"Rachel.." Callum spoke quietly, trying to alert Rachel to his presence, but she remained unmoving.

Sighing deeply he tried a final tactic, he shrugged his jacket off wrapping it around her shoulders, giving her the comfort to speak: "Col-cold…" it was a hushed, shuttered whisper. Relieved for the attempt at speech, Callum pulled his phone from his pocket and text Stevie getting her to calm Smithy's nerves about the missing Rachel.

* * *

The beeping of Stevie's phone, revealed a message from Callum: "Got Rachel, she's safe. Let Smithy know, will bring her back soon." A relieved sigh from the little blonde, caused Mickey to look up questionably.

Stevie giggled when she watched Sam struggle slightly in Mickey's arms where he had been sleeping peacefully. "She's okay.." she whispered at Mickey, before leaving the office in search of Smithy.

* * *

Putting an arm around her shoulder, only served to hug his jacket tighter around her, locking in warmth. As the warmth surrounded her, she realised how cold she originally was.

"Sam?" However distant her voice sounded, it held a question, that Callum had to attempt to answer.

"He's okay, he's been with Stevie for a bit. You left him with his dad didn't you, it's not like you abandoned him." However comforting Callum was attempting to be, he didn't understand how wrong he had assumed and how much his life was about to change.

At his words Rachel found herself eventually averted her gaze from the ground and looking at him to give him a shakily smile before whispering: "No, no I didn't…"

"I'm sorry, I just assumed…" He trailed off guiltily before apologising again: "Sorry." In response she shook her head mutely. "Does he know?" A second shake her head, making her blonde hair sweep around her face was cut off by her own laughter, as she thought about what Callum had just said.

"Does he know about Sam?" Callum asked the question somewhat timidly, completely unaware of how she would react to being asked something quite so personally.

"Yes…" At his question her eyes averted back to the ground, though she responded all the same.

"But, he doesn't know that he is Sam's father?" Callum slowly began to understand what Rachel was saying, she was just being difficult about it.

"That's about the size of it, yes." Rachel nodded subtly, her gaze still focused on the ground. Unable to meet his gaze; which she could feel burning into the side of her head.

"Something going on here, Rachel?" A question to which the Inspector only nodded; sadly.

_She had flicked the kettle on and was about to open the cupboard to retrieve two mugs and the jar of coffee, when he caught her arm; stopping her. He looked, just once, into her sad eyes before he speak: "You sure it's coffee you need?" Smiling sympathetically. _

She shook her head violently to get rid of the memories. Then she answered his question: "Us."

"Us?" he repeated her word softly, as he turned to face her properly.

_Somehow, their mouths had collided, she wasn't exactly sure how but she had this feeling that it was maybe more her doing than his. But her mind had been haunted by images of Smithy with Stevie, and it was too much to bare. _

Closing her eyes, trying to block out both the memories and his question. They snapped open again, when she realised that it wasn't working and the words tumbled out and no matter what she tried they weren't going to stop. "I'm sorry…it's all my fault. I should've told you but I couldn't, I didn't know how it, I didn't know how you'd react and I really couldn't face you, I couldn't bare it." She only stopped talking when Callum raised a hand to silence her; not having a clue what she was talking about.

"Slow down" He murmured reassuringly as he reached for her hand; which was still frozen. He waited until she appeared calmer before he let go of her hand and began to speak again: "Slow down, what are you talking about?"

He watched as blonde in front of him sighed deeply, before taking steadying breathe, settling her nerves before she began to speak: "I couldn't tell anyone I was pregnant because I'd have to tell them who the father was and I couldn't…" She trailed off looking at him desperately, as she prepared herself to change his life. She bit the bullet; it was now or never. After over a year she blurted out the truth: "He's yours. Ours." She never even waited on his response, her gaze had already fallen back to the ground.

Rachel broke the silence suddenly, trying to explain herself: "I'm sorry for not telling you. We were a mistake though, weren't we?" She looked at him expectantly; waiting on the affirmative answer.

"We were… I don't know what we were." He continued looking at the little blonde next to him, the shock etched into his features. But the hand he wrapped around hers prevented her from running away, again.

* * *

"We need your clothes, from last evening, for forensic examination, Mr. Platt…" Grace paused to take in her confused look of the man she was addressing. "We have CCTV footage of your car in the vicinity of where the body of a young woman was found in the early hours of this morning? It has since came to our attention that your woman knew the woman in question." Grace paused for a second time. Watching as the man headed up stairs, still looking thoroughly confused by the whole thing.

* * *

Still sat shivering on a bench Rachel was looking at Callum as he began to speak: "I'm sorry, y'know, for what it's worth. You could've told me, what did you except me to do?" He placed a comforting arm on hers.

Tears sprung to her eyes as she admitted what her fear had been when she had learned she was expecting Sam: "Not believe me." Her voice was barely above a whisper.

With no other way to react Callum placed his arm around Rachel's shoulder and pulled her steadily to her feet: "Come on, lets just get you into the car and get a heat." The blonde nodded and allowed herself to be lead back to the car.

* * *

Eddie bounced into the C.I.D looking thoroughly pleased with himself, brandishing a sheet of paper.

"Edward…" Mickey greeted the CEO as he bound up to his desk.

"I can tell that your Mr Platt down there, is not the attacker but he is related to him." Eddie paused to smile at his own genius, before continued: "Results from the lab; not a close enough DNA match to be your man in the cells, but close enough to be a blood relative. But he has a brother, right?" Eddie continued to look around the room, grinning proudly.

* * *

Stevie was cradling Sam in her arms, as she watched Callum gently lead Rachel through the doors of the station, she continued down the stairs, ready to give Sam back his mother. She paused a few times, staring at her reflection in the glass of the door; she half-smiled, realising that it was probably a sight she wouldn't see for a very long time.

Walking into the reception she cautiously approached Rachel, who was still standing with Callum's hand supportively on her shoulder. Silently, wordlessly Stevie offered Rachel her son. She stepped back when the young mum shook her head, looked pointedly at Callum and shrugged his hand off and fled through the door and further into the station.

Stevie looked up at the tall sergeant; the hint of a question on the tip of her tongue. Instead Callum raised up his hand to stop her, and spoke first. "I'll take him if you want..". Stevie nodded slightly, as she stretched up and placed the baby into the sergeant's arms, and watched him walk the way Rachel had left, stifling a yawn.

* * *

**I swear chapter ten is going to be lots of fun.. But I'm now not very sure how this is going to end yet. **

**Reviews are till fun, just because I like to know what people think. **


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